Hogmanay
by Forever Free Evergreen
Summary: AU/Modern times. Hogmanay aka New Year R


**Disclaimer & note: **_This shall be my last fic…for this year, at least. _

_If I'm lucky, I'll reach one hundred before the next year is out- fingers crossed._

_I do not own White Knight Chronicles, just my avatar & the words below._

**~#~#~#~**

There were a dozen other things she could be doing right now, like maybe picking out a nice dress and showing off her feminine side for once or even just trying to beat her high score on Halo 4. Instead, she was stuck doing a job for Rapacci after being nominated by Leonard, her best friend and former crush, on New Year's Eve of all times. Leonard himself was not so happy about this either. The look on his face as he helped Alastor unload the delivery van showed that he wanted to be anywhere but working one last delivery of the year for his adopted father.

As for Alastor, it was actually harder to figure out whether if he was unhappy or not due to the permanent frown he wore. The only reason why the blue haired teen was with them was because Rapacci needed someone to drive the van seeing as his usual driver, Raus, had decide to celebrate the new year early by going through an entire crate of the boss' finest wine and was now having his after drink snooze in a quiet corner of the warehouse.

He would not have even agreed to Rapacci's request if Yulie had not intervened. Being the intimidating teen's soft spot, all she had to do was give Alastor a pleading look and the normally stoic teen that normally remains indifferent regardless of whether he was being asked or threatened folded within seconds. Of course, that meant that Yulie was getting dark looks from Alastor whenever he could spare a glance but the tomboy teen merely replied by smiling sweetly or sticking her tongue out at him.

Right now however, both teens along with Leonard were too busy focusing on unloading the van to continue their game whereas Leonard found it easier to rant as he hoisted down crate after crate.

"Can't believe Rapacci's doing this to us. It's Hogmanay, New Year's Eve, yet he's working us to the last minute of the old!" He muttered as he picked up another crate. "I could have asked Cisna out or something"

"Don't you mean _try_ to ask her out?" Yulie inquired before shoving another crate to the back of the van for Alastor to catch and hoist up in one movement.

It was common knowledge to everyone that Leonard and Cisna fancied each other- minus Yulie until one fateful night a while back when she caught them during a private moment. It was also common knowledge that Cyrus, Cisna's adoptive older brother, was adamant in that they could not get together and was deterring Leonard from meeting up with his sister.

"Oh, shut up, Yulie" Leonard mumbled in reply knowing just what his best friend was implying. "Cyrus is just being protective. Once he understands that we like each other, he'll lay off our backs and let us properly get together"

"You mean you two aren't already together? That's what you've been rambling about since god knows when, after all" Alastor remarked as he returned for another crate.

"Leonard likes to fantasize about things. Right, Leonard?" Yulie teased causing her friend to go red with embarrassment.

Leonard wisely decided to keep his mouth shut. Having known Yulie since he was five, the girl seemed to have a knack for finding out every embarrassing moment of his and using it to her advantage whenever she got the chance be it blackmail or in view of others depending on her mood at the time. He had no idea how relieved he would feel when Alastor and his friends came into his life, particularly where Yulie was involved.

He had not been around at the time, but had received a text from Caesar telling him that Yulie had ran into Alastor who merely brushed her off albeit roughly but called her a pipsqueak in the process. By the time Leonard had caught up to them, Alastor was just picking himself up after being knocked on his rear by Yulie judging by the swollen cheek he was sporting. Yet, despite that, he then dared Yulie to try and hit him again.

While probably everyone watching was sure that first blow had loosened a screw or two upside his head, they were all left speechless, Yulie included, when he _caught_ Yulie's incoming fist. To this day, Leonard could not help but crack a grin as he remembered the stunned look on Yulie's face. Eyes wide and jaw slightly loose, it was a pity nobody was in the right state of mind to take a picture.

"Wipe that smirk of your face before I do it for you"

"Yes, ma'am" Leonard replied picking up another crate and scampering off before Yulie made good of her promise. Too quick was he, in his haste to escape from his best friend's wrath did he nearly not notice someone coming towards him until he practically ran into him- or rather her.

"Cisna?!" He exclaimed as he recognised the girl he nearly bowled over. "What are you doing here?"

"My father's the one who organized the party here and brought me along" Cisna explained the slight grimace on her face indicating that she would rather be elsewhere but lacked the courage to decline her father's invitation. "When I heard that the wine was from the place you work at, I came to see if you had come along to help with the delivery"

"Even if Rapacci were to actually let us off, I'm usually around in case he gets last minute orders like this" Leonard shrugged nonchalantly the best he could while holding the wine crate. "He was threatening to actually boot me out when your dad called, actually"

Passing the two on his way back to the van, Alastor rolled his eyes at the one eighty Leonard suddenly pulled now that his crush had entered the scene. When he entered the winery several hours ago after receiving a call from Yulie for 'a matter of great importance' and all that tripe, he was just in time to see Rapacci threaten his young charge with the boot but only in the direction of the van where he quickly learned of the true reason why he was needed.

"I was hoping that she wouldn't be here" Yulie grumbled once the blue haired teen was in earshot.

"I thought you no longer held a candle for the lunkhead" Alastor remarked as he reached the back of the van.

"Don't worry, I don't. But seeing how he suddenly changes his tune in her presence yet remains the same around me just…just…Oooh!" Unable to come up with a suitable finish to her rant, Yulie gave the crate an extra ounce of muscle so that it shot towards Alastor quicker than he was expecting resulting in the teen folding as it collided square in the rib cage.

Wincing at the howl of pain she had just put her friend through, Yulie quickly scrambled to the back of the van in time to see Alastor pull himself into a sitting position after shoving the cumbersome crate from his now bruised abdomen.

"So I've noticed" He grunted sarcastically.

"Well I was about to apologise for that but seeing as you're acting like a jerk again…" Yulie grumbled looking away from the blue haired teen.

"Since when have I not been a jerk in your eyes?" Alastor swiftly countered picking himself up at last to dust off his jeans.

Yulie opened her mouth to retort only to close it as a small blush arose in her cheeks. While Alastor's cold demeanour and lone wolf attitude gave her all the openings she needed to dub him names such as jerk, bastard and whatever else she could think of at the time, he had this gentle and caring side to him that was rarely let out for reasons known only to him.

She only knew of this because he had saved her from a few bullies that had decided to gang up on her seeing as she could have easily taken them out one on one- she could have probably taken them out with one blow as well, come to think of it. All she knew was that they had her pinned to the lockers one moment then lying sprawled on the ground in front of her the next with her blue haired saviour walking away from the scene as if just passing through on a whim.

"Oi!" Alastor called out to the day dreaming girl as he flicked her forehead. "Answer the question"

"You already know the answer to it!" Yulie snapped as she rubbed the spot where he flicked her.

"So you think" Alastor smirked cryptically as he sat down beside her.

"Not think, know" Yulie corrected moving so that she was now sitting in his lap. "You're just too afraid to accept it"

All she received from Alastor was a roll of the eyes clearly not falling for her taunt. Having known the obnoxious teenage tomboy for several months now, he had become used to her insults and mental attacks she would throw his way whenever she got the chance. What he would rather like to know was how she had managed to worm her way into his heart despite keeping his distance and acting cold towards her and everyone else since coming to Balandor.

Perhaps having the misfortune of being the first person she ran into after witnessing her best friend kissing what's her name…Cisna was it? Regardless of what the name of Leonard's crush was Alastor barely had the time to register who had stumbled into his view before finding himself being engulfed by her as she began to quietly sob into his shoulder.

"By the way. Happy Anniversary" Yulie added pecking him on the cheek.

"Anni-what?" Alastor asked quirking his eyebrow at the girl in pure confusion before his memory caught up with him. "You're having a one week anniversary of a _kiss_?"

"We" Yulie corrected him. "We shared a kiss one week ago"

"Only because that dreadlocked dunce of a Count's son somehow managed to lure the two of us underneath a sprig of mistletoe" Alastor responded.

"Oh? You didn't seem to complain when we kissed" Yulie teased ruffling his azure locks fondly.

"Says you. I clearly remember you blushing redder than Caesar in his Santa suit to impress Kara" Alastor countered a small smile tugging at his lips as he leaned his head against hers. "Not to mention you practically going limp the moment our lips touched"

Yulie did nothing to conceal her blush as she snuggled into Alastor's embrace. True, when noticing the little festive plant above hers and Alastor's heads, her mind went blank while the rest of her body went numb when Alastor leaned down and kissed her but once the electric shock reminded her of where she was she made sure to return the gesture with much more gusto than she first expected.

"What can I say, I wasn't expecting you to be such a good kisser" Yulie replied quietly. "Still. New Year in a few minutes. New start and all that"

"New start, huh? You really think they're ready for the two of us as a couple?" Alastor inquired the smile growing as he tightened his grip around the smaller girl's waist.

"That all depends on the benefits of this new relationship of ours" Yulie reasoned with a coy smile. "After all, you have yet to prove if going from enemies to lovers is worth it"

"Well…" Alastor pulled his head away from Yulie's neck to glance around to see if anyone was around. "Seeing as your best friend is going to be preoccupied trying to woo his crush for a while before her brother shows up and tries to rip him a new one, we still have a minute or so to prove to each other the benefits of a more romantic relationship between the two of us"

"Then why haven't we gotten started?" Yulie asked with a sly grin before capturing Alastor's lips with her own.

**~#~#~#~**

_Last story of 2012- literally seeing as its midnight in a few minutes in my time zone._

_Review if possible & until next year_

_Watch this space & peace out!_

_Oh! & Happy Hogmanay for the rest of you yet to experience new year!_


End file.
